A Time to Change

If Bheema was surprised to see Suyodhana at his door so late, he did not show it.

"What do you want?" He asked.

"Ask me to come in, and I'll tell you."

"I've no time for your games," but Bheema did move aside, allowing Suyodhana to enter the room.

"Your brother is of the opinion that I should work out my differences with you."

"My brother? Oh." He shook his head as he sat down. "Funny. I never thought you'd be so accepting of this."

"I'm not. Being accepting I mean. But I'm trying to. For his sake."

Bheema felt a flare of something remarkably like jealousy.

"How do you plan to work out our differences? Have a go at each other in the wrestling arena? A fight with the maces?"

"I was thinking of something like this," said Suyodhana as he kissed Bheema. Bheema tasted just as he did in his memories, and in his dreams. And Suyodhana put his arms around the other man, holding tight. A moan broke from him as Bheema responded, putting his arms around him and kissing him back.

"It's been so long," muttered Bheema as they broke apart.

"You don't know how badly I've wanted this," whispered Suyodhana, his fingers caressing Bheema's face.
  
"I can imagine," Bheema whispered before kissing him again.

Later, in bed, Bheema pulled Suyodhana closer and said, "Does this resolve anything?"

"I don't know," Suyodhana. "It resolves a lot of sexual tension for sure."

"That's not the only tension between us, is it?"

Suyodhana narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Perhaps I'm talking about the fact that you tried to kill me more than once."

"You don't seriously believe that," said Suyodhana.

"Don't I? Was it my imagination that you poisoned me?"

"I drugged you and threw you in a river. I don't deny that. But what was I supposed to do? You were hurting us! Physically hurting us! And no one would believe it! No one tried to put a stop to it!"

Bheema stared at Suyodhana, dumbfounded. "So you try to kill me?"

"I was trying to protect my brothers!"

"And the Lac House? What was that about?"

"What about it?"

"You were planning to burn us to death!"

"Planning being the operative word here. I only planned. I never set fire to that house. You did."

"Oh yes, we were supposed to wait for Purochana to set fire to it, weren't we?"

"Purochana must have been singularly inept if he failed to get any opportunity to set fire to the house in the course of a year!"

Bheema narrowed his eyes. "What are you trying to say? That you never intended to do it?"

"No. But once you were gone, I... forgot about it... my plan, that is. I was busy, you were not there, so..." he shrugged. "I forgot."

"Great." Muttered Bheema.

"But that's all in the past," said Suyodhana, trying to sound casual. He knew how stubborn Bheema could be. And in spite of their obvious attraction for each other, if Bheema decided to hold on to all their grudges, that would be the end. And Suyodhana felt cold just thinking about it.

Bheema was silent. He wanted to believe Suyodhana, but what if he was wrong? What if Suyodhana was lying? He looked at the other man. Suyodhana was trying very unsuccessfully to look as if he didn't care, but Bheema could see right through him. It occurred to Bheema that he'd never actually read Suyodhana wrong. Not when he wanted to read him anyway.

He kissed Suyodhana hard. "Works for me," he whispered.

Suyodhana sagged with relief. "I've missed you,"

"And I you."

They kissed each other again.